Daimler Truck Innovation Center India Appoints Radhakrishnan Kodakkal As New CEO

Daimler Truck Innovation Center India (DTICI) has announced the appointment of Radhakrishnan Kodakkal as its new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. He takes over the role from Raghavendra Vaidya, who has moved into the position of Global Chief Information Officer at Daimler Truck AG. 

The leadership transition comes as DTICI continues to strengthen its role within Daimler Truck’s global engineering and technology network. Based in Bengaluru, the centre plays a key role in supporting the company’s product engineering, digital platforms, and IT operations worldwide. In his new role, Kodakkal will be responsible for advancing DTICI’s engineering and digital capabilities while accelerating innovation in collaboration with Daimler Truck’s global teams. 

The mandate also includes expanding India’s contribution across software development, engineering, digital platforms, and IT services. DTICI serves as a strategic innovation and delivery hub for the German truck manufacturer, supporting multiple brands and technology initiatives across global markets. Strengthening this role is expected to be a key focus under Kodakkal’s leadership.

Kodakkal brings more than three decades of experience in technology, engineering, and research and development across multinational organisations. Prior to joining DTICI, he served as Global Head of Integrated Technology and Vice President and Head of the Global Technology & Engineering Center at Whirlpool Corporation. 

During his tenure at Whirlpool, Kodakkal led global technology planning, managed R&D and engineering operations, and drove cross-functional innovation initiatives across different regions. His work included steering large-scale digital transformation programmes and shaping global R&D strategies focused on connected and sustainable technologies.

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Commenting on the appointment, Thomas Ulm, Chairman of DTICI, said, “Radhakrishnan brings deep expertise in technology and engineering, complemented by strong global leadership experience and a proven ability to build and scale innovation. As DTICI continues to play a central role in Daimler Truck’s global engineering and IT network, we are confident that his leadership will further strengthen DTICI’s position as a trusted innovation and delivery hub across the global Daimler Truck ecosystem.”

Ulm also acknowledged the contribution of outgoing CEO Raghavendra Vaidya, under whose leadership the Indian innovation centre expanded its role within the organisation’s global engineering and IT network.

Speaking about his new role, Kodakkal said he is looking forward to building on the strong foundation already established at DTICI. He emphasised that the automotive industry is undergoing a significant technological transformation, making it an important moment to drive innovation and collaboration across global teams. 

Founded in December 2021 and headquartered in Bengaluru, DTICI is one of Daimler Truck’s largest development centres outside Germany. The facility focuses on product engineering and IT while leveraging India’s deep engineering talent pool to support the company’s global operations.